Still on top of Dow Jones Sustainability Index
(Sep. 6, 2007) For the second year in succession Hydro has been named Supersector Leader in the Basic Resources sector of the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Index. This sector includes the aluminium industry.
 IMPORTANT: Kirsten M. Hovi, who is responsible for Hydro's sustainability reporting, emphasizes that the company's position on the Dow Jones index is an important stimulus for fresh improvements. |
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The Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), which comprises more than 300 companies, was launched in 1999. According to Dow Jones' analyses, these companies represent the leading 10 percent enterprises in terms of compliance with important environmental principles for sustainable development.
Hydro has qualified for inclusion on the DJSI every year since its inception. In 2007, 42 new companies qualified for inclusion on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, while 33 companies drop out. On the pan-European DJSI STOXX list there are 17 newcomers, while 22 companies fall out.
Dow Jones place companies in 18 different market categories and name a Supersector Leader in each category. In 2006 the for Basic Resources category was headed by Hydro, an achievement that has been repeated in 2007. The 2007 Index comes into force on 24 September.
"The Dow Jones Sustainability Index is an important driver for the company when it comes to benchmarking, and provides a valuable tool for continuous improvement," says Kirsten M. Hovi, who is responsible for Hydro's sustainability reporting.
Another Norwegian company, Statoil, also achieved a first place in one of the 18 market categories by being named Supersector Leader in the Oil & Gas sector.
From the DJSI review
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"Norsk Hydro continues to successfully defend its position as an industry leader in terms of corporate sustainability within all three dimensions. Excellent risk management and compliance systems are among the areas that contribute to the company's leadership position. Detailed and comprehensive community investment guidelines further reflect the company's social competence. Norsk Hydro is also taking a lead when it comes to industry-specific challenges. A case in point for this is its response to the high energy intensity in the aluminum production. Norsk Hydro's smelter technology at Sunndal in Norway is an example of how innovation can improve energy use and lower emissions. The company has also established an in-house database system called HERE for emissions and waste inventory as well as energy and raw material data. HERE enables Norsk Hydro a secure consistency across different reporting requirements and underpins the implementation of key performance indicators which focus on the reduction of the company's "environmental footprint"."
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